real injury of such as were regularly bred. The writer of this has no inclination to fport at the expence of any body of men; but he could entertain the reader with many whimsical anecdotes respecting the learning and ingenuity of the Welch clergy. A reform was therefore neceffary, but it required a ftrong and perfevering mind to accomplish it.

Our indefatigable prelate was not to be daunted by any obftacles. He obtained, with the greatest poffible dispatch, an accurate and minute ftate of his diocefe. He then gave notice to the beneficed clergy, who did not refide, that they would be compelled to refidence, or to allow their curates a more liberal falary. By thefe means he remedied that fhameful abuse, of one man's ferving feveral churches on the fame day; directing that a curate should serve two only, and thofe within a moderate diftance of each other.

Having regulated the condition of the clergy, he proceeded to a ftricter course, with refpect to candidates for holy orders, admitting none without perfonally examining them himself, and looking very narrowly into the titles which they produced.

With all this vigilance, his lordfhip acted to them as a tender father, encouraging them to vifit him during his stay in the country, which was ufually for feveral months in the year, affifting them with advice, and adminiftering to their temporal neceffities with a liberal and paternal hand.

In his progrefs through the diocefe, he frequently preached in the parish churches, especially on the days

when

when the facrament was adminiftered, and bestowed confiderable largeffes upon the poor.

come.

He kept a most hofpitable table, at his epifcopal palace, at Aberguilly, near Caermarthen, to which the neighbouring gentry and clergy were always welIn fhort, he was a bleffing to his people; and they followed him with grateful hearts, and parted from him with infinite reluctance. This is not an ideal picture: it is a true, but imperfect sketch of actual life; and fuch as the feeble painter had opportunities of feeing more than once.

On January 30th, 1793, the Bishop of St. David's was appointed to preach before the Houfe of Lords; and as the recent execution of the King of France was the general topic of converfation and pity, the Abbey was greatly crowded. That difcourfe is in print; and whatever may be thought of the notions on government (which must be allowed to be of too flavish a tendency) there can be but one opinion concerning its very beautiful and pathetic peroration. When published, the Bishop appended to his fermon a long vindication of the character of Calvin, from the charge of being a friend to rebellion and regicide.

The following year, he was tranflated, on the death of Bishop Thomas, from St. David's to Rochester, and alfo to the deanery of Weftminster, on which occafion he refigned all his other church preferments.

When he entered upon his office, as Dean of Westminster, he found many things in the condition of that church, which stood in great need of reformation; and, with his ufual activity, he inftantly

fet about the work. In particular, the falaries of the minor-canons, and officers, were extremely low, and by no means proportionate. With a mofi commendable spirit of liberality, therefore, he obtained an inftant advance, and then began to regulate the conduct and duty of the perfons whom he had fo materially affified. Had he, on the contrary, fet about a more exact difcipline, without attending to the ncceffities of thefe men, they would, perhaps, have juftly confidered him as a fevere task-master, and murmured at his regulations. By this mode of conduct he gained their efteem and gratitude; and it may fafely be faid, that no man ever filled that ftation with fuch popularity as the prefent dean.

In the career of politics, his popularity, perhaps, is not quite fo great. The zeal which he displays in the agitation of public measures, and the promptness with which he expreffes his fentiments on the fide of the established order of things, civil and religious, have procured him many enemies. Without endeavouring to extenuate any thing reprehenfible in his conduct, let us be permitted to hope, that his language has been often greatly mifreprefented, and made by his adverfaries to exprefs a meaning which the right reverend prelate holds in abhorrence. He has been too apt to exprefs his fentiments in abstract propofitions, which may be made, by artful men, to fignify what never entered into his lordship's mind. Were we, generously, to put the beft conftruction upon his obfervations, and which certainly ought to be done, unless his own explanation proved decifive;

in all probability, we fhould find even here lefs occafion for cenfure, and more for commendation.

But to leave his political reputation to its fate.In 1796, he printed, without his name, a mott profound and elegant differtation on "the Latin and Greek Profodies," dedicated to Lord Thurlow. In this learned performance he fhews an uncommon depth of penetration into, and acquaintance with, the nature and conftruction of the ancient languages; and approves himself a moft powerful, though, perhaps, not an invincible advocate for the ufe of the Greek accents.

We understand that this zealous and active prelate is now deeply engaged in a work upon the prophecies of the Old and New Teftament; and from his known powers, as a profound thinker and calculator, there can be no doubt entertained of the value of his performance, fhould he, as is to be hoped, favour the world with the fruits of his research.

Befides the works already mentioned, Bishop Horfley is the author of fome ingenious papers on mathematical fubjects, various fermons on public occafions, and feveral epifcopal charges.

He has been twice married, and has one fon, who is at prefent at Chrift-church college, Oxford.

JUDGE BULLER.

SIR FRANCIS BULLER is the fon of the late John Buller, Efq. of Morval, in the county of Cornwall. The extenfive parliamentary intereft of his

family is well known; this, joined to his own abilities, could not fail to raise him, carly in life, to an eminent rank in his profeffion.

After being educated at Winchester school, he was called to the bar in the year 1763, and brought into parliament foon after. This, with a lawyer, is generally a prelude to a filk gown, but that was not immediately obtained. His profeffional debut did not promife much eminence, for he commenced his career as a special pleader, having ftudied the practical part of this dull, but neceffary branch of legal fcience under the prefent Judge Afhhurst, and, like his precurfor, he was always ranked amongst the most eminent in that particular line. This character, accordingly, foon brought him into great repute as a common-law draughtfman; and Erfkine, after having Jaid by his fword, first brandished a pen at his desk. His practice at the bar was, at the fame time, very confiderable.

In 1772, Mr. Buller published "An Introduction to the Law of NISI PRIUS," which is a noli me tangere of its kind, and will long continue to enjoy a high degree of eftimation. As an orator, in every thing that did not require an appeal to the paffions, he fhewed himself a master: then only he failed. Few judges delivered themfelves with more propriety than him; his language being dignified, and his manner, perhaps, fomewhat too authoritative.

The borough intereft of his family, added to a matrimonial alliance with that of the late Earl Bathurst, at length procured him a filk gown, the place of a Welch